Romanée-Conti is located in Burgundy in the town and appellation of Vosne-Romanée, in the famous Côte de Nuits. This part of Burgundy is extremely famous for its red wines produced from the Pinot Noir grape variety. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti is arguably the most important vineyard in the world. The story of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti began in the 13th century, when the vineyard was operated by the local monastery, The Abbey of Saint Vivant in Vosne. The vines are thought to have been cultivated by the Romans before that, giving them their name of “Romanée.” At this time, the vineyard was only a fraction of the size it is now. In the 1600s, it passed into the hands of the Croonembourge family, who also expanded it by purchasing the land known as La Tâche (from which DRC’s famed La Tâche wine takes its name). It was Louis François de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, who acquired La Romanée in 1760 and it became La Romanée Conti. After the revolution, during which the property was confiscated and sold as national property, the merchant Jacques Marie Duvault-Blochet finally got it in 1869. His descendant is the current co-owner, Aubert de Villaine. He holds an equal share with the Leroy/Roch family, a very important family of merchants in Burgundy. They purchased additional lands that make up the current eight vineyards owned by DRC and transformed the business into the world-renowned winery it is today. Though the original 4.5 acres, cultivated by the French monks and Romans before them, still produces the winery’s most prized wine—the Romanée-Conti. This parcel has been famous for several hundred years. The Prince of Conti reserved La Romanée for his table only. Burgundy wines are loved for their silkiness and balanced taste. The unique soil and geology of the region give each vineyard its unique style. As Burgundy wines age they develop an earthiness, which makes them special. But La Romanée-Conti is the peak of Pinot Noir: silky, pure, elegant and it ages perfectly in a bottle for 40 years or more. Not only are all of their wines designated Grand Cru, but their vineyards are UNESCO world heritage sites

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Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s vineyards are located on some of the best wine-producing land in the world. The quality and location of the vineyards are of course the most important factor. The property is run according to the precepts of biodynamics, started in 1995 and completed in 2006. In the cellars there’s only a minimal intervention. They use different fermentation stages and the yeasts are entirely natural. The extraction of tannins is as gentle as possible and the wines are aged in 100% new oak (Tronçais) barrels. After one use, they are immediately sold. DRC has its own source for the Tronçais wood of these barrels. Another important element of quality is the cork. It preserves the wine and makes it possible for wine to age well. The family doesn’t pinch pennies when it comes to the cork. They also choose a long cork (54 millimeter), which is synonymous with longevity and quality. One interesting aspect is that DRC uses horses to avoid compacting the soil (actually, the horses were abandoned in lieu of tractors but have since been reintroduced).  Yields are quite low and it is said it takes three vines to produce one bottle of wine from the Romanée-Conti vineyard. The domaine produces only 6,000 to 8,000 cases per year and only 450 cases of La Romanée-Conti, sending the demand to astronomical heights. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti has set the record twice for the most expensive wines sold at auction. Two bottles of the 1945 vintage (an especially limited vintage, for obvious reasons) sold for $496,000 and $558,000 in 2018

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DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI owns just under nine acres of the Richebourg vineyard and 1,000 cases are produced annually

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Richebourg wines are very full bodied and intense - A Great Wine !